The National Basketball Association and USA Networks,Inc. Announce Media, E-commerce and ServicesPartnership.
Business Editors/High Tech Writers
NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 4, 2000
Agreement Leverages Collective Strengths of USAi Through USA's
Electronic Commerce and Services To Enhance NBA.com and NBA.com TV
The National Basketball Association and USA Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: USAI) announced today a broad media, e-commerce and services partnership, delivered through USA's Electronic Commerce and Services unit (ECS), NBA.com, NBA.com TV and other USA and NBA companies. The multichannel, integrated media agreement will provide for cross-marketing, commerce and service initiatives centered around the NBA Store at NBA.com (www.nba.com) which is being relaunched in Spring 2000. The agreement calls for a multi-year partnership.
The commerce services of USA's ECS unit will provide integrated media marketing, database-driven offers, catalog, and promotion, all geared towards driving traffic and meeting the needs of NBA fans. Additionally, the Home Shopping Network and Short Shopping, both USA companies, will partake in driving transactions on the air. Contextual commerce, an organizing principle behind USAi and the ECS unit, will be incorporated to match commerce and content opportunities that will make NBA.com a full-service destination for everyone interested in basketball.
Included in the specific USA company efforts that ECS will deliver to the NBA:
-- HSN, in the U.S. and internationally, will air NBA programs and
specials, including a series of monthly, one-hour U.S.-based NBA
shows.
-- HSN Fulfillment, will deliver services for NBA customers, based
on 20 years of expertise in providing fulfillment, shipping and
order processing.
-- Short Shopping, will produce contextual commerce spots and
specials for NBA programming, including NBA.com TV.
-- Ticketmaster, will integrate merchandise sales with ticket
purchases, in addition to its continued representation of 27 NBA
teams, and will create and promote a national NBA on-sale day.
-- Ticketmaster Online-CitySearch (NASDAQ: TMCS), will house an NBA
'box office' link to NBA.com.
-- USA Network, SCI FI Channel and USA Broadcasting, will provide
promotion time in support of HSN NBA shows and 'on sale' events.
